Believe in Me, My Friend
by jayhogartismyangel
Summary: Adam didn't know what he did to deserve this. All he was really doing was trying to be himself. spoilers for promos. Adam/Clare friendship and EClare Eli/Clare romance. Two Shot


**Believe in Me, My Friend**

Adam had known from the start that it wouldn't be easy. He'd just entered a new school. It had been hard enough keeping his secret at his previous school. Much less, making friends once they found out about it. They all just seemed to disappear, take flight instead of staying by him and continuing the friendship with him.

Still though. He'd have never expected to receive such cruel, harsh treatment, upon entering, Degrassi Community School. He just really didn't get how people could hate someone or something-even if they didn't understand it. He couldn't help how he felt. Despite being born female, he'd never felt like one. When he was younger, instead of playing dollies, barbies, dress-up, and tea parties, he'd enjoyed playing with trucks and cars and all of those disgusting games that only boys seemed to like. He'd begun to become just who he was supposed to be-who he felt like, just a few years ago on the summer of his twelfth birthday.

It really hadn't shocked his parents. Their biggest hope was for him to be happy. To be who he truly wanted to be. And he was doing that. He only wished that the kids in school could realise that. They didn't have to support his decision. They didn't have to like him. They didn't even have to _talk _to him. It would just be nice if they'd treat him like a human being and not some _freak _who was there for laughs. A person to be thrown through glass doors for the glass to shatter, and to have someone try and take off your pants in the boys' bathroom, because they know you're secret.

He wasn't really paying attention to where he was going. He just wanted to get out of here. Wanted to get home and curl up in his bed and try and forget that today ever even happened. Just then, someone grabbed him gently by the shoulder. He sucked in a breath and was prepared to raise his hands to defend himself when he saw who it was. Clare Edwards.

He didn't know her well. He knew that she was the girl that his friend, his _only _friend, Eli Goldsworthy, was interested in. He'd only caught glimpses of her before, but looking at her now, he could understand why Eli liked her.

Her blue eyes were filled with worry as she looked at him. "Are you okay?" She asked in a soft, concerned tone, letting her hand stay rested on his arm. "You look as if you're about to cry."

Adam just looked at her with wide, shocked eyes at her question. He really hadn't expected that. To have someone care for him like this. Especially after what just happened in the boys' bathroom or in the hallway, earlier. He'd have thought that word would've gotten around by now and that the other students would either ignore him like he was the plague or go after him, as well.

Clare's eyes trailed over him, taking in the bruise and cut on the left side of his face, on his cheek. She noticed the way that he was clutching at his ribs with his arm wrapped around his middle and how his lower lip was swollen, bruised, and bloodied. "Oh my God." She whispered in disbelief, shaking her head sadly. "What happened to you? Who would be cruel enough to do this, to you?"

He lowered his head, not saying anything. It was obvious then that she didn't know. Otherwise, she wouldn't be helping him.

Sighing, Clare eased him torwards her, moving her hand to the hem of his shirt, ready to pull it up and check over his other injuries.

Adam's eyes widened even more in horror and he stepped back, away from her with a scared look on his face. "NO!" He yelled, voice filled with dread as he felt the tips of warm, slender fingers brush over the bare skin of his stomach.

She drew her hand back as if she'd been burned and a hurt expression came across her face. She took in a deep breath, admonishing herself for making this about _her _when this kid, whom she knew to be Adam, was hurt. "Well you need to atleast let me take you to the office, if you won't let me check you out. You could be really hurt. And that cut needs to be taken care of, before it gets infected."

Adam swallowed his tears and lowered his eyes torwards the ground. Droplets of moister clung to his lashes is as he tried to studiously avoid her gaze. "But...if I go...I'll have to tell them why this happened." He said in a mere whisper. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Whatever it was, you didn't deserve to have this happen to you. You _must_ know that! Whoever did this to you, was-is a monster to do it." Clare told him firmly, grasping his arm gently, and beginning to pull him with her torwards the nurses' office.

When they got to the door of the nurses' office, the tiny brunette knocked once and then opened it when a soft, grandmotherly type of voice, told them to come inside.

A woman with gray hair turned torwards them at the sound of the door opening. Her child-like pale blue eyes have a smile in them that fades, melding into a look of concern as she takes in all of Adam's visible injuries. "Oh you poor dear! What happened to you, child?" She asked as she walked over to the two teens, lightening fast for a woman her age and helped glare get Adam to take a seat.

Adam didn't say anything, not wanting to reply. Instead, he just stared off into space, his gaze locked on nothing and everything all at the same time.

"I found Adam like this." Clare said for him. "He was walking right past me and would've continued to do that, if I hadn't noticed that something was wrong. He didn't even want to come here. For some reason, he seems to think that he deserved it-getting beat up I mean."

The nurse's gaze went to the boy in question, sadly and she shook her head. "How could he ever think that?" She asked herself, before turning back to Clare. "Well Miss. Edwards, how about you go ahead and join your friends outside for lunch, while I check Adam out?"

At first, Clare opened her mouth to say no, but then thought better of it. She nodded reluctantly and then walked over to Adam to stand infront of him. She braced both of her hands on his mid-thigh, gently. "Whatever you think you did wrong, you really didn't deserve this." She whispered softly with conviction before she leaned in to press a kiss to the unharmed side of his face, much like she would do to comfort a child or one of her other friends. Then, with a smile and shimmering blue eyes, she turned on her heel and walked out of the office to go outside to meet with Eli for lunch.

**Next Part: So I decided to add another part. It's actually gonna deal with the scene in the promo, where Adam walks over to where Eli and Clare are sitting and Adam thanks, Clare. **


End file.
